Shipping and display container

ABSTRACT

A multi-sided, large shipping container which also serves as a display container once the merchandise is placed on sale such as in a supermarket or other store. Particularly useful for shipping and selling merchandise which may be handled by forklift trucks, the container has four wall sections each made from rigid frames and panels of plywood or other material with interlocking brackets at the bottom edges fastened to the reinforced bottom which has a pallet to accommodate the the fork on a forklift truck and may or may not have wheels on the bottom. A one-piece top has edges which fit down over the respective upper edges of each wall section for quick detachment therefrom. Other brackets are provided at intermediate heights on selected wall sections to latch them together. The merchandise which may be in the form of smaller boxes or cartons of goods or not containerized is stacked on the bottom of the present container which resembles a pallet. Then the wall sections are assembled in place by aligning interlocking brackets and inserting interlocking pins on one bracket into openings in matching bracket portions. Then the entire container may be lifted by a forklift truck and transported by truck, aircraft or boxcar to the store where it is placed for display and actual sale of the merchandise by removing one or more of the wall sections.

United States Patent 1 Franks 1 3,710,973 1 Jan. 16, 1 973 [541 SHIPPINGAND DISPLAY CONTAINER Hobart T. Franks, 920 Peachtree Battle AvenueN.W., Atlanta, Ga. 30327 [22] Filed: Oct. 21, 1970 [21] Appl. No.:82,580

[76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. ..220/4 R, 217/12 R [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 7/00 [58] Field ofSearch 220/4; 217/12, 43 A, 45

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1,282,830 12/1961 France ..2l7/43 A Primary ExaminerLloydL. King Att0rney-Patrick F. Henry [57] ABSTRACT A muIti-sided, largeshipping container which also serves as a display container once themerchandise is placed on sale such as in a supermarket or other store.Particularly useful for shipping and selling merchandise which may behandled by forklift trucks, the container has four wall sections eachmade from rigid frames and panels of plywood or other material withinterlocking brackets at the bottom edges fastened to the reinforcedbottom which has a pallet to accommodate the the fork on a forklifttruck and may or may not have wheels on the bottom. A one-piece top hasedges which fit down over the respective upper edges of each wallsection for quick detachment therefrom. Other brackets are provided atintermediate heights on selected wall sections to latch them together.The merchandise which may be in the form of smaller boxes or cartons ofgoods or not containerized is stacked on the bottom of the presentcontainer which resembles a pallet. Then the wall sections are assembledin place by aligning interlocking brackets and inserting interlockingpins on one bracket into openings in matching bracket portions. Then theentire container may be lifted by a forklift truck and transported bytruck, aircraft or boxcar to the store where it is placed for displayand actual sale of the merchandise by removing one or more of the wallsections.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures TE P5 PATENTED AH 16 ms 3.710 973 SHEET 1 0F2 N VE/V roe Homer 7. TBA N/(S BY Q Q 1 A TTORNE SHIPPING AND DISPLAYCONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the InventionContainers such as shipping containers with removable wall sections sothat the container can be knocked down. Portable containers with rigidbottoms that may be handled by pallet trucks and similar wheeledcontainers.

2. Description of the Prior Art 7 Knocked-down shipping containers withpallet bases are known and these comprise a foldable container made offiberboard or cardboard which is set up and attached to a rigid woodenpallet. Such containers sometimes are destroyed at the shippingdepartment of the ultimate consumer because it is made from disposablefiberboard or cardboard and is sealed sometimes with registered seals toprevent pilferage. Such containers are not suitable for placement onfloors of stores to merchandise the contents and must be opened and thecontents distributed in some other manner. Since some of these prior artcontainers are made from box-blanks with hinged detached sections it isvery similar to opening a large cardboard container in that while thepallet base may be saved the container is usually lost and there is noreuse. The cost of doing this is not insignifi' cant and it would beworthwhile to save the container'if possible as is the case of thepresent invention. Furthermore, unloading of the container takes timeand costs money and it wouldbe desirable to let the public unload thecontainer right in the retail merchandise area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The wall sections ofthe present invention arepermanent and intended for reuse and may be readily attached togetherabout the bottom or base of the shipping container on which themerchandise is loaded and any one or more of the panels may be removedfor display and merchandising of the contents until the entire containeris empty at which time all of the walls may be disassembled, knockeddown and laid flat superposed on one another for return to the source.Since many retail outlets customarily receive shipments from the samesource regularly this would result in a saving to both the shipper andthe receiver. In addition this reduces the amount of trash handled bythe shipping department of large merchandising establishments each dayand saves them expense inunloading large containers of merchandise, andarranging displays. Still the contents may be sealed against pilferageand all the other advantages of other types of shipping containers areretained. If the container is damaged in shipment usually only one ormore of the walls will have to be replaced and the remainder may bereused. Unlike most fiberboard and cardboard shipping containers thereis more protection to the contents and larger containers of the presentkind may be used more often than the less rigid cardboard and fiberboardcontainers.

The very fast assembly and disassembly feature of the container alsomakes it particularly applicable to cargo forwarders and shippersinterested in the containerization of many smaller packages with aminimum of handling time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of ashipping and display container made in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 1 partlydisassembled.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 1 with onlyone side removed to display merchandise.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 4- 4 in FIG. 1. 7

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5 5 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along lines 6-6 in FIG.2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The complete container isdesignated generally by reference numeral 10 and comprises fourdetachable wall sections or panels designated respectively l2, 14, 16and 18, a top 20 and a bottom 22 which is a flat section such as a sheetof plywood provided with longitudinal flatwboards 24, 26 on which aremounted caster assemblies 28 having a wheel 30. The blades of a forklifttruck (not shown) may be inserted between the boards 24, 26 to lift theentire container 10.

Each of the wall sections 12, 14, 16 and 18 is constructed from asection of plywood, extremely durable corrugated material, or similarsheet material some times reinforced with a peripheral or marginal framedesignated'generally by reference numeral 34 which is a rectangularframe made from channel material like aluminum or sheet metal into whichchannel thereof is inserted the edge and border of the respective walls.The bottom 22 is provided with an upstanding metal channel or angle 36and near the edge of the bottom is fastened part of an assembly bracketdesignated generally by reference numeral 40 comprising the part 42 onthe bottom 22 and a similar part 44 on respective other wall panels l2,l4, l6 and 18 which assemble with the bottom 22. Each bracket 40comprises a flat plate 46 and a cylindrical attaching portion 48 withopening that matches with and is complementary to a similar attachingportion 48 on the other plate 46 of the bracket which carries a pin 50to be inserted in the opening of the matching cylindrical portion 48 toassemble the brackets 46 thereby connecting and assembling a respectiveside wall 12, 14, 16 and 18 with the bottom'22 and a respective bracket40 thereon. The top 20 is a rectangular arrangement having a frame 54therewith constructed from aluminum extrusions, channel line or othersuitable material to form a border which is insertable over and aroundthe upper edges of the respective assembly of side walls 12, 14,16 and18 to provide rigidity and to securely close the top of the containerfrom pilferage, dust and the like.

Intermediate the height of one of the walls 12, 14, etc., which for thesake of identification may be referred to as the front 12, there is oneof the brackets 40 and another bracket 40 on the opposite sideso thatside 14 may be detached and removed in the manner shown in FIG. 3 toexpose the merchandise in the container 10 for purposes of display anddispensing to the public. In this manner, for example, cartons or layersof merchandise 60 may be placed on the floor of the merchandiseestablishment either by rolling the container on the wheels 30 from theshipping and receiving department to the floor of the establishment orby lifting with a forkliftt-ruck if such is available and usable on thepremises. Of course, the sides 12, l4, l6 and 18 may be decorated withadvertising material and designed and presented in any artistic ordecorating theme or aspect desired. Before or after the contents 60 havebeen removed, the sides l2, 14, 16 and 18 and the top 20 may be removed.When the container is emptied; sides and top may be stacked on thebottom 22 and the entire disassembled and knocked-down con tainer movedback to' the shipping department for return to the sender.

The FIG. 6 frame 54 is an edge extrusion with a channel 64 and a secondchannel 66 at right angles thereto separated by a wall 68 to provide aquick way of inserting wall panels 20 and 14.v

While I have shown and described a particular-embodiment of thisinvention together with a suggested mode' of operation and a particularpreferred use thereof this is by way of illustration only and does notconstitute any sortof limitation on the scope of the invention sincevarious alterations, changes, deviations, modifications, departures,a'dditions, subtractions, and changes may .be made in the container'aswell as other uses and variationsthereof without departing from thescope of the invention as defined by proper interpretation of theappended claims.

What is claimed:

1. In a combined shipping and display container:

a. a three-dimensional container comprising four sides, a top and abottom, the bottom being suitably formed to support the weight of thecontainer with merchandise therein, each side comprising a substantiallyflat wall section and the respective edges of respective abutting'side'sbeing in alignment to create the closed three-dimensional container, 7certain one or more of the sides having attaching means mounted fordetachably attaching the side to another side and to be detachedmanually, said merchandise being displayed for removal directly from thecontainer, separable attaching means on each of the sides attachable toa portion mounted on the bottom so that the sides may detach from thebottom and remove therefrom, and there being bracket means intermediatethe height of the wall as well as near the bottom.

2. The device in claim 1: one edge of the container being an integralextrusion having a panel slot on one end and another panel slot at rightangles thereto separated by a wall.

3. The device in claim 1: the bracket means being brackets located oneach wall inside the container, said brackets having detachable parts.

1. In a combined shipping and display container: a. a three-dimensionalcontainer comprising four sides, a top and a bottom, b. the bottom beingsuitably formed to support the weight of the container with merchandisetherein, c. each side comprising a substantially flat wall section andthe respective edges of respective abutting sides being in alignment tocreate the closed three-dimensional container, d. certain one or more ofthe sides having attaching means mounted for detachably attaching theside to another side and to be detached manually, said merchandise beingdisplayed for removal directly from the container, e. separableattaching means on each of the sides attachable to a portion mounted onthe bottom so that the sides may detach from the bottom and removetherefrom, f. and there being bracket means intermediate the height ofthe wall as well as near the bottom.
 2. The device in claim 1: one edgeof the container being an integral extrusion having a panel slot on oneend and another panel slot at right angles thereto separated by a wall.3. The device in claim 1: the bracket means being brackets located oneach wall inside the container, said brackets having detachable parts.